ScienceTsunamis
No life on Earth could exist without water. However, water can be the most destructive force on the planet. On December 26th 2004 a massive Wave crashed into coasts across south and east Asia causing a huge amount of damage, destroying millions of homes and killing hundreds of thousands.
How does a Tsunami develop?
The Tsunami was caused by a violent earthquake (measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale) under the sea bed in the Indian Ocean. The quake displaced a body of water so huge that the wave created was 10 metes tall which traveled 800km from the epicenter.
What happens when there is too much water?
The density of water is such that at speeds and in great volume it can smash through solid rock. It was reported that the town of Teunom in Indonesia "vanished completely leaving only scattered shards of concrete".
According to the most recent UN investigation, it fatally affected up to 229,866 lives.
References
UN Human Cost of Tsunami
http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/country/humantoll.asp